Draft-gear for railway-cars.



1. F. OCONNOR.

DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1s, I9Is.

1,800,469. Patented Apr. 15,1919

2 sIIEEIs-sIIEET I.

J. F. OCONNOR.

DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I6. 19m.

1,300,469. Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET?.

INVENTOR. v@jo/m 05d/'mor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR T0 WILLIAM H. MINER, 0F CHAZY,

NEW YORK.

DRAFT-GEAR FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Application led February 16, 1918.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN F. OCoNNoR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Draft-Gears for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to draft gear for railway cars.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a simple draft gear in which the parts may be easily assembled and disassembled. Other objects will appear 'from the .description hereinafter given.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view partly in horizontal section, of a draft rigging embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view .of the connector block employing the specific embodiment shown.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 5-j-5 indicate parts of a car underframe, as for instance, the center sills; 6-6 the subsills or draft members secured thereto. In the form of my invention shown in the drawings, the center sills and draft members are each of general channel shape, the draft members being secured to the center sills by means of the bolts 7 7 passing through adjacent {ianges on'the center sills and draft members. The draft members are each provided with front and rear upper slots -8 and 9, respectively, and front and rear lower stops 10 and 11, respectively. Keys are mounted in these slots, the upper front key being indicated by the numeral l2, the lower front key by the numeral 13, the upper rear key by the numeral 14,' and the lower rear key by the numeral 15. On their outer faces the draft members are provided with the front stops 16-16, the stop shoulders 17 of which form with the front edges of the front slots the stops for the front keys. Likewise the draft members are provided with the rear stops 18-18 which form with the rear ends of the rear slots the stops for the rear Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 191e.

Serial No. 217,507.

keys. Upper and lower springs 20 and 21, respectively, are mounted between the outer ends of the keys, that is, on the outer sides of the draft members, the upper spring 20 being seated between the upper front and upper rear keys, and the lower spring being seated between the lower front and lower A plate 22 extends about thel ber a spring ocket in which the springs are contained. he end sill of the car is indicated at 24.-; the buffer block at 25; the draw-v bar carry-iron at 26. The draw-bar 27 may be of the usual type, and is connected to the keys by means of the connector member 28. The said connector member 28 is mounted between the draft members and is provided at its forward end with an opening 29 within which the rear end of the draw-bar is received. The connector member 28 is made in upper and lower sections 30 and 31, respectively, each section being provided with an internal shoulder 32 extending within the pocket formed by the assembling of the two parts of the connector member to engage the upper and lower shoulders 33 and 34, respectively, with which' the draw-bar is provided. The upper and lower sections of the connector member are provided at their sides with the oppositely-arranged engaging flanges 35 suitably perforated for the passage of the rivets 36-36, which serve to hold the two parts of the connector member together, and to hold the draw-bar securely therein. The connector member is provided at top and bottom with front and rear shoulders 37 and 38, respectively, adapted to engage the keys hereinbefore descri ed. The upper and lower faces of the connector member between said shoulders are preferably fiat, and the front keys, in normal position of the parts as illustrated in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, pass above and below the connector member and engage the front shoulders thereof. Likewise the rear keys pass above and below the connector member and engage the rear shoulders thereof in normal position. The flanges v60 2. In a draft rigging for railway cars, in

and are adapted to center the draw-bar and permit its suitablelateral movement in operation. The keys are allsuitably perforated as indicated at the numeral 40 to permit the insertion of the vertically arranged vcotters 41--41 which are placed along the inner faces of the draft members to prevent the lateral working of the keys in operation.

On forward movement of the draw-bar, vthe connector member slides between the front keysand through the engagement of l the rear shoulders of the connector member against the rear keys pulls the rear keys forwardly, compressing the springs between them and the front keys whlch are held stationary by the front stops. For this purpose .the rear key slots are forwardly extended to permit suitable forward movement of the rear keys. On rearward movement of the draw-bar,

the connector member slides between the rear keys, and the front shoulders of the connector member engage the front keys,

forcing the same'rearwardly and compressing-the springs between the front keys and the rear keys, the rear keys being held against .movement by the rear stops.` For this purpose the front key slots in the draft mem ers are suitably rearwardly extended.

To replace broken springs, it is not necessary to disconnect or in any manner interfere with the draw-bar; all that is necessary to be done is to remove the plate 22, whereupon new springs can be inserted without 'i disturbing any other parts of the gear. The

springs are not only readily accessible for purposes of repair, but are so positioned as 40 to be readily inspected. Similarly, the keys may be removed by removing the plate 22 and the cotters 41, thus permitting their lateral withdrawal.' m

I claim:

1. In a draft rigging for railway cars, in combination: a draw-bar, draft members, a connector member mounted between the draft members and secured to the draw-bar, front spaced-apart keys and rear spacedapart Vkeys extending through the draft members, springs between the vfront keys and the rear keys, the connector member being mounted between the upper and lower keys, the said connector member having front and rear shoulders, the front shoulders engaging the front keys on rearward l movement of the draw-bar, and the rear shoulders engaging the rear key on forward movement of the draw-bar. combination: draft members, a draw-bar mounted between said draft members, front and rear sets of keys extended through the draft members, each set including an upper and lower key, springs mounted between the further shoulders to engagefthe keys.

front and rear sets i of keys, a connector member secured to the draw-bar and slidingly mounted between the upper and lower keys, the said connector member having front .shoulders engaging the front keys von rearward movement of the draw-bar, and the rear shoulders engaging the rear keys on forward movement of the draw-bar.

3Q In a draft rigging for railway cars, draft members, a draw-bar mounted be` 75 tween said draft members, longitudinally movable keys extended vthrough said draft members, said keys being arranged in front and rear sets, each set including an upper and lower key, a connector member slidingly mounted between the upper and lower keys and having means coacting with the rear keys to draw the same forwardly on forward movement of the draw-bar, and means coacting with the'front keys to push the same rearwardly on'rearward movemen of the draw-bar. s 1

4. In a draft rigging for railway cars,v draft members, front upper and lower keys and rear upper and lower keys extended through the draft members, springs between the front and rear keys, a draw-bar having a shouldered butt and mounted between the draft members, and a connector member slid ingly mounted with respect to said keys, said connector member comprising a plurality of pants inclosing the draw-bar butt to secure the draw-bar to the connector member. y 5. In a draft rigging for railway cars, draft members,.each having front and rear upper and. lower slots therein, stop members secured to the draft members at the forward end ofthe front slots "and'at the rear ends ofthe rear slots,A a key for each of said slots, springs between the, front and rear keys mounted outside :the draft members, a draw-bar between the ldraft members, and a connector member secured to lthe draw-bar and engaging the same to the keys, the front keys being rearwardly movable with the connector member on rearward movement of the draw-bar, and the rear keys being forwardly movable vwith the connector member onforward movement of the draw-bar. '6. In a draft rigging forl railway cars slotted draft members, keys extendedthere-l through, springs between the keys, a ydrawn bar mounted between the draft members, and a connector member connecting the keys to the draw-bar, the draw-bar having a shouldered butt, the connector member comprising upper and lower sections, said` sections being provided with shoulders to engage the shoulders of the draw' bar and with 7. As an article of manufacture, a connector member adapted to be operatively associated with a draw bar and parts of a draft rigging, said connector member comprising two parts, an upper and a lower, said parts having each laterally extended flanges near tending shoulders adapted to coperate With their center, fastening means extending keys or the like.

4through said flanges to secure said parts to- In Witness that I claim the foregoing I gether, said flanges being provided with have hereunto subscribedmy name this 29th 10 5 rounded edges, said connector member havday of J anual-y,- 1918.

ing also upper and lower transversely ex' JOHN F. OC'ONN OR. 

